Car-coupling



l (Model.)

H. BRA-LEY. No* 395,733. GAR GOUPLING.

Patented J` I l an. 8, 1889 llll l" UNITED STATES .PATENT OFFICE.

HARTYELL BRALEY, OF LANGSVLLE, OHIO.

CAR-BCOUPLING.

SPECIFCATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 395,733, dated January8, 1889.

Application tiled July 6, 1888. Serial No. 279,229. (Model.)

T0 w77/ whom it 71mg/ concern:

Be it lmownthat 1, HARTWELL BRALEY, a citizen of llang'sville, in thecounty of Meigs and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Car-Couplers; and I do hereby declare the following' tobe a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains io make and usethe same.

My invention relates to an improvement in car-couplings, and has for itsobject to provide a car-coupling,` which shall be sure in op eration tocouple and uneouple cars, and which, when the cars are coupled, shallinsure positive connection, and one which will not be liable to permitthe accidental separation of the cars.

A further obj ect is to produce a ear-coupling,I which shall be simplein construction, cheap to manufact-ure, and applicable to cars alreadyin use.

lVith these objects in. view my invention consists in certain novelfeatures of construction and peculiar combinations and arrangements ofparts, as will be hereinafter set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l a side elevation of my improvedcar-coupler. Fig. 2 .is a longitudinal sectional view of the same. Fig.3 is an end View of the coupler.

A indicates a draw-head, comprising two sections or jaws, B (1.- The jaw:l is furnished at a point between its ends with a lug, o, at each sidethereof, adapted to receive between them a lug, l), proj eeting upwardlyfrom the jaw C, a pivot-pin, b', beingl passed through said lugs, andthus pivotally unitingthe jaws B C. The lower jaw, C, is also providedat its inner end with a shank, D, by which the draw-head maybe securedto the driit-timbers of the car, a spring, D', being, preferablyinserted between the draft-ti1nbers and a shoulder, c, produced by theshank D.

The forward portion ot.' the lower jaw, C, is provided with a recess, c,the extreme forward portion of which is preferably made larger than theinner portion. Projecting' upwardly from the lower jaw, (l, within therecess c is a lip, d, having' an inclined front face and a vertical rearface, as'shown in Fig'. 2. The forward end of the upper jaw, B, is alsoprovided with a recess, c', to coincide with the recessed forward end ofthe jaw C, a projec* tion, d', extending' downwardly from Jthe jaw B toa point in proximity to the lip (l when the parts are in their closedlpositions. In rear of the projection d' a vertical perforation, e, ismade in the jaw B for the accommodation ot the shank j' of a weightedpendulons lever, F, said shank projecting,l above the top surface of thejaw B andV being supported by a pin, f, passing;I through a perfotion,f2, in the shank j and resting' on the jaw B. The shank ,f is preferablyinclined on one face, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, to permit anoscillatory movement of the pendulous lever F, for a purpose hereinafterexplained. lf desired, the rear side ot' the shank f may be madestraight and the perforation c cutaway to permit its oscillation. Thelower end of the lever F extends into the recess c of jaw C `in rearofthe lip d, sufficient space beingl left between said lower end of: thelever and the bottom of the recess c to admit a link, G, which encirclesthe lip d, and is held to its vseat by the lever F.

rlhe jaws B C of the draw-head are beveled in rear of the pivot b, asshown in Figs. land 2, so that the jaw B may have a free vibratorymovement on the jaw (l, said jaws beingI held normally together at theirforward ends by means ol:l a spiral spring', Il, inserted be tween thetwo jaws in rear of their pivotal conn ection.

Secured to the upper jaw, E, at opposite sides of the projection d aretwo downwardlyproj ectin rods g, provided at their lewe r ends withinwardly-prejecting` hooks g', adapted t0 enter beneath the link (l atopposite sides of the lip d.

.lournalelfl beneath the jaw C, near its rear end, is a wheel, l, to theshaft z of which one end of a chain or rope, l', is secured, the otherend of said rope or chain being secured to the jaw B, thus providinglmeans for causing the jaw .B to vibrate on its pivot and move away fromthe' jaw C at its forward end. Then such separation of the forward endsof the jaws is eifeeted, the hook-shaped rods g will lift the link G soas to clear the lip d of jaw (i. y

In lieu ot' the wheel l, aratchet mechanism may be provided to retainthe forward ends IOO of the jaws separated. In siich case a handle, I2,will preferably be secured to the shaft 7b.

IVhen the cars are being coupled, the link G will strike the projectiond of jaw B and lip d of jaw C and cause the jaws to separate.

The link then forces the pendulous lever rearwardly and drops behind thelip d, when the lever F will fall to its place by gravity and theforward ends of the jaws assume their normal closed positions.

Slight changes might be made in the constructive details of my inventionwithout departing from the spirit thereof; hence I do not wish torestrict myself to the precise details of construction herein described;but,

Having :fully described my inventionvhat I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Iletters Patent, is-

l. In a car-coupler, thc combination,witha draw-head comprising two jawspivoted together and provided with recesses at their forward ends, ofprojections extending from said jaws into said recesses, substantiallyas set forth.

2. In a car-coupler, the combination, with a draw-head composed of twojaws pivoted together and recessed at their lforward ends, of aprojection on one of said jaws having a straight rear face and a springto maintain the forward portions of the jaws together, substantially asset forth.

3. In a car-coupler, the combination, with a draw-head composed of twojaws pivoted to gether and recessed at their forward ends, of projectionsextending from said jaws into the recess and a` pendulons leversupported by the upper jaw and extending downwardly in rear of the projection on the lower jaw, substantially as set forth.

4. In a car-coupler, the combination, with a draw-head composed of twojaws pivoted together and recessed at their forward ends and projectionsextending from said jaws int-o the recess, of a pendulons leversupported by the upper jaw an d extending downwardly in rear of theprojections on the jaws and mechanism for vibrating said jaw,substantially as set forth.

5. In a car-coupler, the combination, with a draw-head made in twosections and recessed at their forward ends and projections extendingfrom said jaws into the recesses, of a pendulous lever supported tooscillate in rear of said projections, hooked bars carried by the upperjaw and extending to the bottom of the recess in the lower jaw andmechanism for \f'ibrating the jaws, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo snbscribing witnesses.

IIARTVELL BRALEY.

Iitnessesz JAMES MARSH, J. A. DAVIS.

